Elizabeth McGinitie, PhD, BSc (Honours)

Contact

Associate Professor, Augustana - Sciences

Email: ecorkum@ualberta.ca
Address: 152 Science Extension
4901-46 Ave

Camrose AB

T4V 2R3

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

Chemistry Chemistry Education Catalysis Green Chemistry Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Energy and Environment Program: Chemical and Physical Sciences Program: Elementary Education Program: BSc/BEd

About

I hail from the beautiful province of Nova Scotia on Canada's east coast. I completed a BSc with Honours in Chemistry from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 2008. I earned my PhD in Chemistry from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta in 2013. My graduate research focused on the development of immobilized rhodium-based catalytic systems for use in continuous-flow catalytic hydrogenation and isomerization reactions. After completing my PhD, I worked for a short time as an industrial chemist developing continuous-flow processes for the production of biofuels from renewable feedstocks. I then found my way back to academia as a sessional instructor of chemistry at The King's University in Edmonton, Alberta and Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. In 2016 I began my career at Augustana as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and in 2022 I was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Chemistry. At Augustana I teach a wide range of chemistry courses including general chemistry, structure and bonding, physical chemistry, introductory synthesis, advanced synthesis, environmental chemistry, materials chemistry and a number of directed readings and directed studies courses. My research program has two distinct branches with one focused on the development of novel catalytic systems for use in industrially relevant continuous-flow reactions and the other focused on assessing the effectiveness, impact and equity of different teaching strategies employed in our chemistry classrooms and labs.

Research

My disciplinary research interests primarily lie in the fields of catalysis and green chemistry. My current research focuses on improving the environmental sustainability and efficiency of industrial chemical processes through asymmetric catalyst immobilization and continuous-flow. In addition, I have a number of SOTL research projects that mostly focus on equity-oriented and inclusive teaching practices and alternative assessments.

Selected Publications and Patents:

McGinitie, E. G.; Zimmerman, H.; Weenink, T.; Spreen, M.; Kariuki, J. K.; Rempel, B. P. Student perceptions of two-stage testing in an undergraduate general chemistry course: for whom is the experience good and bad? The Journal of Chemical Education 2025, 102, 3416-3424.
McGinitie, E. G.; Zimmerman, H.; Rempel, B. P. Student-generated exam crib sheets: what do they write? An examination of crib sheet features. The Journal of Chemical Education 2025, 102, 3295-3305.
Rempel, B. P.; Snyman, M.; King, D.; Kariuki, J.; McGinitie, E. G. Design and implementation of a mentorship course that utilizes senior undergraduate chemistry students as learning assistants in the introductory chemistry laboratory to foster transferable skill development. The Journal of Chemical Education 2024, 101, 3795-3804.
Rempel, B. P.; Dirks, M.; McGinitie, E. The influence of two-stage testing on peer relationships: a study of first-year university student perceptions. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2023, 14, 1-19.
King, D.; Snyman, M.; McGinitie, E. G. Design, implementation and instructor reflections on teaching a face-to-face advanced synthetic chemistry laboratory course during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Journal of Chemical Education 2022, 99, 1579-1586.
Rempel, B. P.; Dirks, M.; McGinitie, E. G. Two-stage testing reduces student-perceived exam anxiety in introductory chemistry. The Journal of Chemical Education 2021, 98, 2527-2535.
Bergens, S. H.; Kalapugama, S.; Nepal, P.; McGinitie, E. Catalyst systems for use in continuous flow reactors and methods of manufacture and use thereof. US Patent 20160175829, issued June 23, 2016.
Corkum, E. G.; Wang, R.; Aquino, M. A. S. Compromising the metal-metal bond in diruthenium(II,III) tetraacetate: Reaction of [Ru2(µ-O2CMe)4(MeOH)2]+ with phosphines to form ‘Ru(µ-O2CMe)2(µ-OMe)2Ru’ cores. Inorganica Chimica Acta 2015, 424, 202-209.
Corkum, E. G.; Kalapugama, S.; Hass, M. J.; Bergens, S. H. Solvent-free Isomerization of Allylic Alcohols Catalyzed by a Rhodium Catalyst-Organic Framework. RSC Advances 2012, 2, 3473-3476.
Corkum, E. G.; Hass, M. J.; Sullivan, A. D.; Bergens, S. H. A Highly Reusable Rhodium Catalyst-Organic Framework for the Intramolecular Cycloisomerization of 1,6-Enynes. Organic Letters 2011, 13, 3522-3525.

Teaching

I have taught a variety of chemistry courses to date including general chemistry, introductory and advanced inorganic chemistry, introductory and advanced organic chemistry, organic spectroscopy, physical chemistry, environmental chemistry, introductory and advanced chemical synthesis and materials chemistry.

The courses that I currently teach are:

AUCHE 110, General Chemistry I
AUCHE 112, General Chemistry II
AUCHE 230, Structure and Bonding
AUCHE 341, Introduction to Environmental Chemistry
AUCHE 350, Introductory Synthesis
AUCHE 351, Introductory Synthesis Lab
AUCHE 352, Advanced Synthesis
AUCHE 353, Advanced Synthesis Lab
AUCHE 430, Materials Chemistry

Selected Awards:

Betty Ostenrud - Faculty Award (nominated) - 2026
The Augustana Faculty Early Achievement of Teaching Excellence Award - 2020
University of Alberta Award for Outstanding Mentorship in Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (nominated) - 2019
Alberta Innovates Technology Futures Industry R&D Associates Award - 2014
University of Alberta Profiling Alberta's Graduate Students Award - 2012
University of Alberta University Teaching Services Graduate Student Teaching Award - 2011
Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Fellowship (Doctoral) - 2010 and 2011
Walter H. Johns Memorial Scholarship - 2009 and 2010
NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship - 2009 and 2010
Professor Osman James Walker Memorial Scholarship - 2009
Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Fellowship (Master's) - 2008 and 2009